One of few vegan restaurants in Monza (Suraja) recently closed, which really broke my foodie heart…read more I try to support vegan establishments wherever possible (especially in Italy), because even though vegan food can be absolutely amazing in flavor and creativity (there is a whole foodie culture behind "vegan junk food"), there is still a stigma around it in locales not used to exploring different foods and cuisines. So to know that Hug is still around and thriving was good news to me, even though it has been difficult to pay a visit due to the strict opening hours (only lunch and dinner) and their location by the Sobborghi train station. This changed yesterday, when I made the walk over to their quaint establishment to get food to-go. I got the Tarzan burger along with a fake Nutella cheesecake. All of this was vegan, and oh so delicious! The hefty price tag (18.50 euros) was not so great, but I didn't mind paying it if it meant delicious vegan food! The burger was absolutely fantastic. This is the translated description from their website menu: Type of bread (BIO flour): semi-wholemeal with vegetable milk and veg butter with biga matured for 16 hours, dried spelled sourdough, porcini mushrooms and toasted white and black sesame seeds Buckwheat burger (BIO), broccoli, green thaina( with parsley), Jerusalem artichoke and zhug (Middle Eastern spicy sauce) of fermented lemon / toum (typical Lebanese sauce) of cashews with fermented orange / sautéed chard with smoked salt and ginger juice (BIO) / hazelnut and barley miso mayo The burger was compact and filling, and the hazelnut and barley miso mayo was my favorite---creamy and flavorful. I wish I could have gotten other flavors of fake cheesecake to try too. I was so sad after gobbling up my Nutella one! I plan to be back and to try other mouth-watering dishes from their menu. You should definitely add this to your Monza list too!

Had a chance to pop in for a weeknight dinner, and was pleasantly surprised to see an array of food…read moreoptions that were heavy in vegan proteins! I got the platter (12 euro size) which featured a tasting menu of some protein heavy items. My only complaint is that I wish the proteins were less dry, and perhaps served with additional sauces besides the beet hummus (which, was good on its own)! I also got a chocolate cake with pistachio(?) cream which was alright in flavor, but again on the dry side. The inside of this cafe is very cozy and homey with all the jars and vegan food products everywhere. Hope they continue to have success in what can be a hard place to thrive as a vegan-only restaurant!

Great, homie, cute, sweet little vegan spot in Milan. We stopped in for breakfast during our short…read morestay in the city and found a quant cafe and store offering a variety of interesting options. They do breakfast through dinner. You can pick items from a menu or peruse their deli case. Most everything is offered in a variety of portions, so if you want to get a plate with a bunch of tastes on it, you totally can! We tried the much lauded lasagna and it was great. We also sampled a sausage and onion dish, tempeh with cabbage, tofu scramble, roasted zucchini, seitan cutlets, and some other delectable bites. The only real miss was a weird savory tart that was a little gloopy on top. But most everything was pretty great and made with love. They also of course have coffee with alternative milks. And the pantry items they sell include a variety of bulk needs, alt milks, and various other vegan needs. Definitely recommend this spot!

The Monza location is mixed in with a lot of shops, cafes, and restaurants in the city center. I…read morecame by for a quick lunch on a workday. The location is small for dine-in, but from order time to delivery time, it's pretty quick. They serve up wraps with veggies, rice, meats, and also make bowls. There are options for vegans and vegetarians too, and some creative ones at that. I got the #2, "cuore croccante", and I didn't know it would turn out to be quite an intriguing wrap! It was a rice wrap with some veggies and spicy sauce on the inside, but then fried with a panko like crust on the outside. It was served warm and definitely hit the spot! The roll was on the small side, but the rice made it filling (4.50 euros). I also got two chocolate mochi on the side (2.50 each...pricey) which was a nice sweet, cool dessert for after. They did have false advertising on the menu: they said they have froyo available but the guy just shook his head no when I asked.

I went here for the first time about a month ago…read more LOCATION: It's in the Brera District of the city, which I like because it's away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but it's still within walking distance of it all. It's also fairly nice and clean. 4/5 ATMOSPHERE: They have most of their seating inside, but there's a few tables right outside too. We sat outside and liked it. 4/5 SELECTION: Their menu isn't that big, but I appreciate that they have a lot of clearly-marked vegan options, and a lot of it is more unique for Italy -- i.e. it's not just another typical Italian tourist-trap-type restaurant. 4/5 WHAT I GOT: I got their Bosco Veggy, which is their vegan mix dish of the day. On the day I was there, it was a brown rice mix with mix-ins and toppings, black beans, zucchini, and some little cracker thing. It was the best meal I had while in Milan. The brown rice mix tasted unique and I'm not sure all that was in there, but it was tasty. The black beans tasted as expected, and the zucchini was good too -- it just could've been could a tad bit more thoroughly, but it wasn't a big deal. Anyways, all the ingredients tasted fresh and of good quality. The only major negative was that it was garnished with too much oil, especially the zucchini. But, other than that, it was great. And everyone else in my group liked their meals a lot too, so I'd definitely recommend this place. 4/5 SERVICE: The service was great. The employees were all really attentive and friendly. And our food came out in good timing. 4/5

I've eaten both dining in and take out from various California Bakery locations across Milan, but I…read morereally love the location of this particular CB. It's at the street corner, 5 minutes south of Crocetta M3 metro stop. For a birthday dinner to-go, I asked for the Vegan Bowl, but miscommunication led to a Vegan Burger. It was not a bad thing though---I really did enjoy the burger. The patty was a crisp, "eggplant parmesan" style patty and the sauces were exquisite. I forgot to take pictures of the burger because once I got home, I was tired and hungry, but I was able to wait inside while waiting for my food to be ready. Unfortunately, I don't see a lot of crowds come in here, but I'm sure they get a lot of to-go orders. It's a pity, because the interior is beautiful!

Great vegan food. It has a buffet with many creative options. The cuisine is Italian, with…read morespaghetti, cannoli, seitan, gnocchi etc. And there's a menu with some salads and panini. We just wanted to try a bit of everything, so we got two plates and a dessert (gelati) for €25 per person. The food was great and the service was very nice. It's near metro station "Corvetta". Behind the gas station, just as shown on the map. It's rather small so you might want to make a reservation for a table.

This is such a cute and lively restaurant in the bustling city center of Monza…read more I came by on a Sunday, admist the rain and amongst crowds still choosing to sit outside! I was in the mood to try the food, but thought it might make sense to do some in-dining later...perhaps at a time when I remember to make a reservation! So for my to-go order to have in the comfort of my home, I got the pink vegan burger (burger of cooked cannellini beans, beetroot, stir-fried vipolla and zucchini, served with vegan mayonnaise, avocado and iceberg salad) and it cost €12.00. The patty was incredibly soft and mushy, which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you prefer! I didn't mind the texture as I was in awe of the beautiful pink color! For dessert, I got a slice of double chocolate cake, but it was a communication issue because what I *really* wanted was the German Chocolate Cake. Still, it was a delicious piece of cake...still a bit on the dry side (not as dry as California Bakery cakes!) but it could have been more moist. Overall, I'd love to visit for brunch sometime soon and sit inside or outside. With winter coming up, perhaps inside, but this place looks so cozy who wouldn't want to come back?

This Macha Café is in the Southwest corner of Milan, near Porta Genova station. I've been here…read moretwice and it's always empty! I think they thrive on to-go orders, but dining is something worthwhile because the décor is inviting and colorful! I love the soft green color palate and the booths have really vibrant, soft cushions and padding. Food options are a-plenty! My fave is the Quinoa Power Bowl because it comes with soft falafel and is vegan. They also have a delicious vegan cheesecake topped with intriguing, bright red berries. The price range is moderate, with 11-14 euros for most of the mains, and 4-6 for dessert. Highly recommend dining in.